mmarshall

Got an interesting E-Mail last evening from an old friend I've known for decades (he used to go to my church before he moved a little farther out in VA some years ago). He is retired Air Force, was laid-off of his former civilian job some months ago, and, with the bad economy, had to work in a relatively-low-paying retail position for awhile. Now, a local Buick/GMC shop is going to take him on as a salesman. He's got a wife/kid and a house-payment, so, of course, the new job is needed. He asked me for my take on the new Buicks (he figured I knew more about them than he did), and went in today to get some preliminary training. Job officially starts tomorrow.

Hmmmm..............Now, about that new Verano I'm interested in?

I want to give it a little more time, though (maybe a couple more months) to allow it to get at least some kind of reliability data for Consumer Reports, and to see if they are going to give it the new N/A 2.5L four (in addition to the turbo and 6MT versions)

ArmyofOne

As nice as the new Verano is Mike, I have to say I wouldn't do it...there are MUCH nicer cars for the money out there.

Congrat's to your friend, but don't go and rush a major purchase like this because he got a new job. I know you want to help him out but I would steer clear of buick, at least for now. They JUST got back in the game. I would give them some time.

Maybe that's just me though. I gave Dodge (Chrysler) a year of research and thorough investigation before I bought my truck...Made sure their new quality standards were up to par with my expectations of a $40,000 truck.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

So Mike, out of all the cars you reviewed and you chose the Verano? I too believe there are better options out there. Even it's helping out your friend on the new job. Also, waiting couple more month to see the reliability? It's too new and I would worry about reliability after the warranty expires than new car reliability, and it would take a while to really determine the rating on the Verano.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

like what?

not true. you do know they were/are one of the highest selling brands in china?

waiting for reliability data only makes sense if the model you intend to buy isn't significantly different from the model(s) the data is based on.

mmarshall

For the money, I enjoyed driving it more than anything else out there anywhere near its price-range. It has, IMO, an excellent ride/handling combination...neither too soft and Float-O-Matic like traditional big Buicks or too stiff like the Regal. It's quiet as King Tut's tomb when you aren't accelerating hard. lt is also something that that is rare for GM (and, yes, even other Buicks)...a car that doesn't use junk-materials in its design/ or construction, despite its Chevy-Cruze platform-base.

Yes, as I admitted in my Jaguar XKR convertible review, driving the XKR was like dating a supermodel, but look at the price-difference...106K vs. upper-20s. The Mercedes E63 AMG, drivetrain/chassis-wise, was also a blast...but, again, you're talking around 100K.



Depends on what you call "nice". The Verano is one of the best compact-luxury cars, for 23-29K, that I've seen yet. The Lexus IS250 AWD, of course, is a better car for bad weather, but runs roughly 10K more and rides too stiffly for my tastes. The Audi A3 offers diesel-MPG, AWD (and a convienent hatch/cargo area), but its reliability is suspect, the MMI is a PITA to use, and it can't match the Verano's noise-isolation. The Acura TSX, like all Acuras, offers superb build-quality, runs roughly in the Verano's price-range, but its 2Gen interior doesn't impress me, and it has road noise. The BMW 1 and 3-series (particularly the 335i) have superb chassis-engineering and driving-dynamics, but, IMO, cost too much, and have so-so build-quality. The Lincoln MKZ offers AWD and a decent (but not great) reliability record, but doesn't, IMO, have the interior or the driving-feel/comfort of a luxury-product.

It's not cast in stone, guys, but the Verano is tops on my list if I don't get a another Subie. I'm aware of the possible reliability issue.....that's why I didn't get one of the early-production ones, but am waiting.

Since I'm in a Lexus-forum, are there any Lexus products on my possible list? Yes...a new ES. I didn't like the present-generation ES when it debuted in 2006, for several reasons, but, since then, they have addressed at least some of the things I found objectionable.

Outrage

The Acura ILX is the closest direct competitor (premium FWD compact) to the Buick Verano. It might be worth a look.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

I would get the Dodge Dart over this, if it has to be American brand. And then if Japanese brand is included, then it opens up a lot of selections, like Subaru Legacy.

mmarshall

BTW, I didn't necessarily start this because I wanted to get deep into my next purchase right now....there's time-enough for that. I started the thread because I was glad that my friend got a decent job after a long layoff-period, and wanted to share good news ...........though, to be honest, at least some of what goes on in the auto-sales buisness does not impress me, and dealer TV/radio commercials are (usually) an insult to one's intelligence.

So, even though it can be a shady buisness sometimes, and pension-related income is not always guaranteed, I'm glad for my friend's salesman's job. A retired Air Force Sergeant's pension is better than nothing, but it doesn't stretch very far nowadays....particularly with a family.

mmarshall

The Dart is going to be an interesting product.....essentially an Americanized, slightly-stretched Alfa-Romeo Giulietta with Chrysler's new-found interior-quality, done in black/red-stripe trim like other new Dodges. The Dart name, of course, goes back to the 1960s. It will offer 12 (possibly 14) exterior colors......when was the last time you saw that on an American-badged compact?

I plan to look at a Dart and test-drive one (it will have several different drivetrain combos), but I don't have any review-requests for it. Press-reviews say it is somewhat like the Verano...far better built than its Dodge Caliber predecessor, with a much nicer interior, and with an accent on noise-isolation and a good ride/handling combination over that of pure-handling.


The first ones are scheduled in the D.C area by the end of June or early July. Dodge had one at the D.C. Auto Show last January, but it was mounted up on a stand, at a sharp list-angle, and cut-open to show the interior-hardware and unibody-frame construction. It didn't show much of the complete car.

Subies are always an option in my book...IMO, you can't beat them as low or moderate-priced bad-weather daily-drivers. But Subaru, IMO, has also made a number of design/marketing/production-errors in their newer models...I don't have time to go into all of them in detail here.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

although not having driven any of them, i would exect that none of those will ride as comfortably or as quietly as the verano.

and the dart is more boy racer...

LexFather

Obama's job's programs are working Nice, always cool to have a friend in the business. I don't really understand the Verano or any of its competitors but you seem smitten by it so good luck.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

I can never advise anyone I know to buy a GM of any type without knowing that ALL models have inherent quality issues with ball joints, wheel bearings and tie rod ends... These repairs can become quite costly. I would also bet money that the car is not aligned well from the factory.

The biggest problem I always see with any reviews is that people focus on what engine, interior build quality, etc, but rarely ever talk about how shoddy the parts they use underneath are...

ST430

They are one of the highest selling brands their because they have a coop with the Chinese government and one of the most affordable. Buicks there are looked upon almost as Kias here, which is a step or 2 below Toyco. Shanghai GM should not be compared to as US GM.

FrankReynoldsCPA

That's good to know. I've always known their trucks have shoddy suspensions(IFS vs. a solid front axle on the Ford/Dodge offerings). Didn't yet know it on the cars(at least newer ones....I've seen 2 old gm products lose wheels while driving).

mmarshall

Well, yeah.....if you happen to be in one of the four remaining GM divisions.

Years ago, the wife of another friend of mine(a local cop-detective) was the General Manager of a local Pontiac/GMC shop. Pontiac, though, built such junk back then (no, I'm not kidding) that I wouldn't even consider one, though the nice 2004-2008 GTO and subsequent G8 GT almost made me change my mind. They have since moved to NC, and the shop converted to Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep....with GMC having moved next door with Chevy and Buick.

It's not a perfect car...no vehicle is. But it is head and shoulders above the junk we saw from GM for decades....and even some if its sister Buicks still today.

I usually don't buy a car, though, just from love at first sight and nothing else before thinking hard and doing some research....and, of course, I advise others to do the same. But, I have to admit, that's how I joined CL. I saw a bright yellow Lexus IS300 out on the floor, unlocked, at the 2001 D.C. Auto Show, was smitten by it (paint-job, chronograph-gauges, chrome-ball shifter, etc.....decided I was (probably) going to get one, and ended up few months later buying a yellow one just like it, a but with fewer options. I joined CL a couple of years later, in 2003. Turned out to be a b**ch on icy roads, though (which I suspected would be the case from the RWD), even with traction control, all-season tires, and snow-mode transmission.